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QATAR AIRWAYS GCEO JOINED AN ESTEEMED PANEL TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF MIDDLE EAST AVIATION

DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker outlined emerging challenges and opportunities affecting airlines operating in the Middle East during the “Air Transport in the 21st Century” conference at the Bahrain International Airshow on Friday, 22 January. The discussion centered on strategies that will make a difference to global competitive positioning, increased regional competition from low-cost carriers, and the impact of changing oil prices.

Ahead of the panel, H.E. Mr. Al Baker said: “Successful airlines must adapt, but must also have very deliberate goals and the focus to reach them. We have taken advantage of our strengths, which includes our geographic position in Doha, which has 80 percent of the world’s population within six flight hours, and we have combined that advantage with a superior product, which includes our route map, our fleet – which is one of the youngest fleet in the world – and our onboard products and services. We have a singular goal, which is to prioritise a premium product and service for our passengers.”

Part of the discussion honed in on product proposition, in particular the importance of on-board entertainment and the need for high-end offerings to ensure customers are able to enjoy each and every journey. On this subject H.E. Mr. Al Baker stressed the importance of innovation, as just last year Qatar Airways launched Oryx One, an enhanced interface for its inflight entertainment system. It offers passengers a huge choice of 2000 movies and TV shows using state-of-the-art technology. Connectivity was also another topic touched on as the panel discussed the growing expectation of passengers to stay online whilst in the skies.

During the panel, H.E. Mr. Al Baker discussed the importance of competition in an industry that faces increasing challenges against a backdrop of global economic change. Mr. Al Baker said: “Qatar Airways is a young company but we are growing fast, in fact we have seen a growth of 25 per cent this past year. Key to our success is that as a business we run efficiently and for our passengers we deliver a product that caters to their travel requirements. In this region we have a growing demographic looking to travel further and more frequently. At the same time we run an efficient and 24-hour airport that makes travel seamless and convenient for our passengers. The truth is, competition in this industry will not go away and it is the customer that will determine the winners and the losers.”

The panel discussion was the first of its kind for civil aviation at the Bahrain Airshow, where Qatar Airways is enjoying a formidable presence by proudly showcasing three of its state-of-the-art aircraft – the A350, A380 and Qatar Executive’s Gulfstream G650ER. The airline celebrated one year of A350 operations as the global launch customer of the world’s newest passenger aircraft type while at the show.

The conference was a new addition to the Bahrain Airshow line-up and was developed to create a platform for high-level networking and opinion sharing within the airline industry. The ‘Air Transport in the 21st Century’ conference will be followed by a second event, an International Air Transport Association (IATA) seminar, on the third day of the show.

For Images:https://www.flickr.com/photos/qatarairways/albums/72157661517389593

Notes to Editors:

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is one of the fastest growing airlines operating one of the youngest fleets in the world. Now in its 19th year of operations, Qatar Airways has a modern fleet of 175 aircraft flying to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across six continents. Qatar Airways won Airline of the Year, Best Business Class Airline Seat and Best Airline in the Middle East at the 2015 Skytrax Awards. This is the third time the airline won the accolade of Airline of the Year.

Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld global alliance. The award-winning alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance 2015 by Skytrax for the third year running. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance, oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Qatar Airways launched Oryx One in 2015, an enhanced interface for its inflight entertainment system, increasing the number of movies and TV shows on board from 950 to up to 2,000. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380, A319 as well as select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the five-star airline’s on-board Wifi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest cargo carrier, serves more than 40 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide via its Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally on 175 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet now includes seven Airbus 330, eight Boeing 777 freighters and one Boeing 747 freighter.